Naruto: The King Behind the Curtain

On a massive green leaf in Shikkotsu Forest, Seiki sat cross-legged in deep meditation.

Inhale... exhale... inhale... exhale...

Seiki sank into a profound meditative state, as if forgetting everything around him—both burdens and plans alike. Nearly every breath matched the rhythm of the breeze, as though he had perfectly fused with nature itself.

The next instant, intricate markings flickered across his face—radiating the aura of Sage Mode.

"Wah! Lord Seiki is truly amazing!"

"Already achieved Sage Mode on his very first try?!"

Amid these warm and cheerful voices, Seiki slowly opened his eyes.

"The first stage of Sage Mode poses no challenge for me at all. However, to apply senjutsu effectively in actual combat, I must reach at least the second stage of Sage Mode."

Seiki mused silently. In truth, this "second stage" was simply a classification he'd created based on his own understanding.

The first stage involved gathering natural energy while remaining still for a period before entering Sage Mode.

The second stage meant achieving Sage Mode even while moving.

Like Jiraiya's Sage Mode—though the two Great Toad Sages remained perched on his shoulders to collect senjutsu chakra, they weren't entirely motionless and could still form hand seals to release ninjutsu.

From his personal experience, Sage Mode required more inner peace than physical stillness—the stillness or small movements were merely easier ways to achieve that state.

As long as one could maintain absolute calm amidst battle, reaching the second stage of Sage Mode was possible.

As for the third stage—that was Hashirama's instantaneous transformation into Sage Mode. Even in his opinion, attaining that level still seemed far beyond reach.

With that thought, Seiki dispelled Sage Mode, stood up, and turned toward the giant slug at the center, bowing deeply. "Young Seiki, thank you for guiding my training, Sage Lady Katsuyu!"

The colossal slug, vast as a mountain range, shifted gently and spoke in a gentle, serene voice. "Even so, young Seiki, mastering Sage Mode was all your doing! Please, let us know whenever you need our assistance!"

In some sense, his choice to train in Shikkotsu Forest was also based on this very reason.

Compared to the prophecy-speaking Great Toad Sage from Mount Myoboku and the eerie White Snake Sage of Ryuchi Cave, the detached and tranquil Sage Lady Katsuyu probably represented the least threatening option.

"I understand. Thank you, Sage Lady Katsuyu!" After thanking her, Seiki immediately formed hand seals.

[Kuchiyose no Jutsu!]

In an instant, a small slug appeared before Seiki.

Meanwhile, within Konoha's borders.

The large slug summoned earlier by Seiki looked at the spot where its smaller companion had suddenly vanished, murmuring softly. "Already capable? Then it's time for me to start contributing too!"

With that, its clumsy pair of antennae stretched out as far as they could manage, lightly touching each other twice. "[Reverse Summoning Jutsu!]"

No sooner had the words left its mouth than Seiki reappeared back in Konoha.

Gazing at the familiar surroundings, Seiki smiled. "Thank you, slug!"

The big slug happily wriggled its antennae. "This is what I'm here for!"

After releasing the summoning technique and sending the large slug back to Shikkotsu Forest, Seiki made his way toward the Hokage Office.

At the Hokage Office entrance, Asuma leaned against a pillar with his hands behind his head.

"Seiki, you're really late today!"

"Sorry, I just finished training."

Asuma finally noticed the dew and fresh scent clinging to Seiki's body, slightly twitching his lips. "You were already training this early in the morning?"

Seiki grinned. "Only happens when I do Sage Mode training. After all, training in that tranquil state feels almost like sleeping."

Just then, Inoichi Yamanaka walked out of the Hokage Office. "Now do you see the difference? Genius isn't scary—it's terrifying when geniuses work harder than you!"

Asuma shrugged calmly. "Figured that out when I was five."

Inoichi chuckled helplessly. "That truly is impressive dedication!"

Kurenai asked excitedly beside them, "Teacher Yamanaka, what rank mission will we be getting next?"

Seiki unusually added one sentence: "I hope it won't be another D-ranked mission."

Even he couldn't deny that chasing lost pets or cleaning up trash didn't offer much growth.

Seeing all three students looking expectantly at him, Inoichi couldn't help smiling. "Under normal circumstances, Genin can take on C-ranked or D-ranked missions. However, for rookie teams like us without any experience, earning a C-ranked mission isn't easy."

As he walked back into the Hokage Office, Inoichi continued, "First off, we'll exclude all protective detail missions."

Asuma asked, "Is it because those take too much time and affect efficiency?"

"Actually," Inoichi explained, "employers value safety most in protective missions! No matter how talented you are, most clients won't trust you with those kinds of jobs without some field experience."

Standing in the section for C-ranked missions, Inoichi introduced each one individually. "This is about taming large beasts... Unfortunately, it's about subduing rather than killing—otherwise we might accept it."

Now Kurenai looked puzzled. "What's the difference?"

Beside her, Seiki chuckled and explained, "Probably afraid failing the mission would scare off the target. That means they're way more strict about how the mission has to be carried out, compared to a hunt."

Inoichi nodded. "Exactly right! You need to learn how to spot these little differences before taking on any mission. And gather intel first!"

"Take C-ranked missions as an example—the payment usually ranges from 30,000 to 100,000 ryo. More dangerous or lengthy missions offer higher rewards. But since we don't have much clout yet, we'll probably only end up with cheap ones."

"So the ideal choice for us," Inoichi's hand swept across the mission board before stopping on a scroll toward the left,

[Eliminate Bandits, Reward: 60,000 Ryo]

After reading the scroll content, Asuma suddenly got excited. "Will there be Chunin among them?"

Inoichi almost laughed. "Forget Chunin—even Genin are unlikely."

Asuma sighed disappointedly. "Come on, that's no fun."

"However, Inoichi Yamanaka's expression turned serious. "Ninjas are still human. And humans die just the same when their heads get sliced off by a blade!"

"There have been new recruits like you before who thought regular folks weren't worth fearing. Because of their arrogance, they fell into enemy traps, didn't have time to form hand seals, and eventually got chopped into pieces by the very ordinary people they looked down upon!"

Although Asuma didn't think he'd end up that pitiful, after his teacher's reminder, he still dropped his attitude. "I understand, Teacher Yamanaka!"

Seeing Asuma, Ino, and Chōji all wearing serious expressions and preparing to go all-out, Inoichi felt secretly regretful. "Should I really have said anything? With their strength, it'll be an absolute massacre! Only if they're a bit sloppy would it even count as decent training."

"Sigh, poor bastards, may your souls rest in peace!"

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